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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · lean · jam · stand · pitch · board · wound · firm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. firm — a company
  4. cold — not warm
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stand — to bear
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com